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Carpentry in Catalonia: one directive, two ways of applying it
Report author: Henri Damon · Report written in January 2026 · Article published on 20 October 2026
What a field report among Catalan carpentry firms, carried out from June 2025, reveals.
From June 2025, Henri Damon, a member of the association, visited carpentry firms in Catalonia. His report, written in January 2026, describes work organisation, the sector’s collective-agreement framework and how machinery safety rules are applied, comparing them with French practice.
A common European basis
Carpentry machines – saws, planers, machining centres – fall under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, transposed in Spain by Real Decreto 1644/2008 and in France in the Labour Code. Harmonised standards give a presumption of conformity. Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 will replace the directive from 20 January 2027.
Diverging practice
The report shows that, under the same text, workshop organisation, operator training and equipment checks vary from one country to the other. The collective-agreement framework also differs: in Spain the sector falls under wood-industry collective bargaining; in France, under the construction collective agreements.
Why compare?
A firm working on both sides of the Pyrenees, or posting workers there, needs to know which rule applies and how it is enforced. That is what our comparative studies are for.
- Carpentry machines are governed by the same EU text in both countries.
- Practical application and the collective-agreement framework differ.
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 will apply from 20 January 2027.
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Official sources
- INSST – Instituto Nacional de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo
- INRS – Institut national de recherche et de sécurité
- EU-OSHA
Each article is based on a report whose date of writing is shown, and reflects its author’s analysis at that date. General information only: neither legal nor medical advice. The full report can be requested from the association.
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